"Like a true nature's child We were born, born to be wild We can climb so high I never want to die "

- Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf

Featured Studio Owner

Home Video Studio FL
Home Video Studio - Naples

Date: 10/02/2013

Folks in Naples, Florida enjoy a certain lifestyle. It comes with an abundance of white-sanded Gulf beaches, a relaxed year-round wardrobe of shorts and flip-flops, and the most golf holes per capita in the world. Todd Piper, our October Studio Owner of the Month, likes the beach and flip-flops and golf. It's not surprising, then, that when he was looking for a business opportunity that fit his Naples lifestyle he found that Home Video Studio fit him to a T:

"This is a great area for a video services business like mine," says Piper. "The demographic skews a little older than a comparable sized area elsewhere. That means my customer base has the older formats and lots of them." They also skew higher in income: "I love the chance to provide excellent customer service and my customers like competence and convenience and they will pay for it."

So what landed Todd Piper, who is relatively new to Home Video Studio, the title of Studio Owner of the Month and an up-and-coming owner to watch? Well, besides an outstanding September of sales let's chalk it up to a few skills and attitudes that he brings:

Marketing sense - Todd grew up the son of a salesman and attributes his marketing awareness to this environment. "You know that old saying 'Nothing happens until a sale is made'? I grew up with that. My dad was a very good salesman for an international industrial supply company and I saw the importance they placed on sales - starting with compensation." Piper also credits having to move every couple of years as helping his development as a networker: "I had to get very good at meeting new people, making new friends and learning how to start conversations."

Creative and technical acumen - Like several Home Video Studio owners, Todd's early love of music brought him to video: "I have been a lifelong musician. My rock and roll dreams led me to learn guitar, bass and drums." (He also has a killer rockin' tenor voice that practically breaks glass!) In due course Piper began to also love the techno/creative process of knobs and faders and meters in a studio environment: "I loved recording and got into radio and TV production classes in high school."

A supportive partner - Todd and his wife Jennifer have been doing life as a team as long as they've been married. Jennifer's attaining a master's degree in the demanding field of Nurse Anesthesia was a collaborative effort of moral and financial support and the Pipers see Todd's business the same way.

Drive - Although Todd loved music and studios and production he also knew he wanted a certain lifestyle - and he suspected that it wasn't readily attainable by being strictly an artist or a technician. So after high school Piper attended college at the University of Texas - Dallas and earned his degree in Finance and Economics. Upon graduation he immediately went to work for Citigroup and got his feet wet in the lending industry. He then took a management position for a private lender.
You can't contain a "man with a plan" in a cubicle. Todd then started his own company. The good news? It grew quickly and soon he was presiding over thirty employees. The not so good news? He was working twelve hour days, commuting three hours, and incapable of taking a vacation. More good news: The fruits of his vision were providing a nice living, not just for Piper, but for everyone in his company. More not so good news: There was financial turmoil looming that was out of Piper's (and most everyone else's) control that would change the industry.
To his credit Todd saw it coming on horizon, swallowed hard, and closed and boarded his business before the squall hit.

Reinvention - Most of us, at least once in our life, will face the prospect of having to reinvent ourselves. As he began to reimagine himself here's what Todd Piper's reinvention looked like:

My own enterprise (who's going to hire a guy with my experience and success as entry level or middle management?)

Home based (I'm tired of three hour commutes.)

Simple (What if I could even incorporate my family in some aspects?)

Control (I run it instead of vice versa.)

So Todd began the work of looking for a viable business with these stipulations. After some disappointing results with franchise brokers he started to personally investigate the Entrepreneur Top 500 Franchises. Soon he found Home Video Studio. Not only did it entice him by satisfying his four stipulations, it featured the quintessence: 5) Creative - (Video, music, editing, knobs and faders? This would be heaven!)

He called Home Video Studio's National Director of Sales, Diane Osterbur and by the end of their conversation he was convinced this was the opportunity he was looking for. In January of 2013 Todd's studio was installed.

Todd hit the ground running and has been gaining momentum each month thereafter. Last month was his best yet, financially. Most notably Todd seals the sum of our line "It's a Wonderful Lifestyle." He runs his own business out of his own home (his Dad even comes over and helps!) on his own terms in Naples Florida - where lifestyle is required.

Any words of wisdom from someone who has seen a few ups and downs from a few different angles? "Personal freedom means personal responsibility," says Piper. "I enjoy the franchise with the services they provide, the support they offer, and the fact that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. But in the end it is my enterprise and I am responsible for its success or its failure."

That's a winning attitude that will keep Todd on top! Congratulations to Todd Piper of Naples, Florida. Our October Studio Owner of the Month!

It's a Wonderful Lifestyle!

Control your life and your lifestyle. You and only you should determine your daily schedule- your hours of work and play. Start your own Home Video Studio

Here's what we'll cover at Show 'N Tell Saturday.

MAKING MONEY

The number one thing we'll cover is making money in the video business. I'll cover pricing video as well as collecting the money. What's the difference between a $500.00 video and a $5000.00 video? Are you leaving money on the table? I'll teach you how we do it! Oh... what about a $30,000.00 video?

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

This is the great unknown for most people who attempt to enter our industry. How do you get business and find clients? I'll share with you.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

I'll cover our 12 month and 21 day in person training program in depth. How do we take you from where you are now to where you want to be? We are very good at this as long as you can take that first step and get to Show 'N Tell!

STUDIO EQUIPMENT

You'll be in my studio all day so we'll definitely get into the nitty gritty on equipment and gear. How will you outfit your studio? Do you have current equipment that can be used? Maybe and if so that will save you some money.

FINANCIAL GOALS

Home Video Studio is a short cut to success. You may be looking for both financial success and creative achievements - money in the bank and an Oscar! We make no promises except to put you in an environment with others who have the same vision. Our mission is to help you achieve success as you define it.

CREATIVE GOALS

Not everyone is out to make a fortune. Home Video Studio is a very fun and exciting business and lifestyle. Want to turn your hobby into a real live functioning studio? We can do that for you. Want to get your family involved in the business? We'll help train them. This is a very family friendly business.

TRANSITIONS

We'll discuss transitions and getting started. Going to quit your job? Come out of retirement? Convert a 401k? Will you work the studio part time until you can go full time? We will start designing a plan for you at Show 'N Tell Saturday.

FUNDING

We are experts in funding and financing. If you need us to help you find the money we would be happy to. It is easy to convert a 401k or IRA with zero penalty. Many people do a refi or a home equity loan. There are other avenues as well. One of the things we do on Saturday afternoon is cover financing. It's not that difficult. If you need consultation on funding call us.

We suggest you bring your spouse/partner to our Show 'N Tell Saturday. That's our treat. You'll know a whole lot more about running a Home Video Studio by end of day on Saturday!

Show 'N Tell: A first glimpse

"Tammy and I came to a Show 'N Tell Saturday. The initial conversation was Robert talking about what it is to be a Home Video studio Owner. Of course we'd listened to the CD's over and over in our car for a couple of months. I think Then we had the presentation and we signed right there at the end of the presentation."

- John Montgomery - Newark, OH.

"Our Show 'N Tell Saturday was on May 11, 2002 - Mother's Day weekend! We were already operating our own video business, but we wanted to run it at a higher level with better equipment. We needed a plan and a system like the one offered by Home Video Studio. If you're thinking about HVS, you should go to Show 'N Tell Saturday."